All of my published fiction to date

I’m thrilled to announce that I just had a story accepted by Conjunctions—which is one of my favorite literary journals—for their upcoming fall issue, “A Cabinet of Curiosity.” I thought I’d mark the occasion by doing a little housekeeping, pulling together a list of all my published fiction, in case you feel like checking out my past work…

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Information about the places where you can buy my two books

Some people have asked me where they can buy my two books. This is kind of them, and this post will answer those questions and more, read on for all of of the answers (and more!).

What are your books?

I’ve written two books, a story collection called Amazing Adult Fantasy and a novel called Giant Slugs they both came out in 2011.

Where can I buy Amazing Adult Fantasy?

You can buy it at Amazon or from its publisher (Mutable Sound) or physically in some bookstores; you can walk in and purchase a physical copy.

What are those bookstores?

In Chicago, you can buy it at Quimby’s or at Bucket O’  Blood. Both are very nice stores I recommend them.

Is there anywhere else?

Yes, but I can’t remember where at the moment. What is wrong with Chicago or online? Amazon even has used copies you can save some real $.

I already have Amazing Adult Fantasy where can I buy Giant Slugs?

You can buy Giant Slugs in New Zealand, a country that is halfway around the world. You can fly there on a plane and purchase it in a New Zealand book shop.

I am afraid of planes is there really nowhere in the United States that I can buy it?

No, I am afraid that at this time there is not.

Is there really nowhere else in the entire world that I can buy it?

Yes, there is the internet, you can wire money to the publisher (Lawrence and Gibson) and in a while the book will arrive on your doorstep or in your mailbox.

That’s cool but what if I want to read it for free online?

You are something of a shady bum but you can read parts of it for free online at The Collagist and at elimae and at Action, Yes.

That’s cool what if I want to read parts of Amazing Adult Fantasy for free online?

You can read parts of it for free online at elimae and the2ndhand and Lamination Colony and alice blue review and elimae and Feathertale and Mutable Sound and Necessary Fiction and NOÕ Journal and Caketrain (PDF). As well as other places but in print like Denver Quarterly and Fiction International; they’re waiting for you in the library.

Very nice now I do not have a need to buy it.

Dude that’s like less than half the book you will still get your $’s worth if you “lay out the coin.” Plus Republicans will close your local library.

But what if I am still overcautious and want to read the opinions of others I don’t know before I “pull the trigger”?

Dude it doesn’t really cost that much but you can read positive reviews here and here and here and here and here and here and here.

Very nice but where can I read positive reviews of Giant Slugs?

Dude said book was published in New Zealand and like no one has ever read it let alone written a proper review of it.

Dude that’s sad.

Dude I know, tell me about it, I slaved over that novel for ten years. But said novel’s good, take my writerly word for it!

Michael Clark liked it and blurbed it; Gabe Gudding did, too. Plus Gabriel Chad Boyer just said that he liked it. Writers named Gabriel are guaranteed to like it.

“Sweet!” So if I purchase your books with my dollars will you write me a personalized and polite and nice letter?

Yes I will be totally happy to do that, also I will draw you a picture of your favorite kind of animal; it will be my pleasure. Or if you want me to draw something else I will draw something else, just tell me what*.

*Caveat please be warned I am not a good drawer or letter writer.

OK, I’ll think about it.

Thank you!

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Another example of the word splitting technique

I used this technique when writing my first novel, Giant Slugs. The opening sentence of it is:

We’ll all follow the finer taboos, the tattoos of a pro percussionist’s tom-toms.

To whit:

• We’ll all < wall (every chapter in GS starts with a play on that word)
• pro percussionist < proper
• percussionist’s tom-toms < custom

Thus, the sentence contains the line “We’ll all follow the finer taboos and proper customs.”

I used this technique a lot in writing the novel, but the only other example I can think of at the moment is the line “Wisdom draped from them like clad oaks.” The draped trees therein were originally “cloaks.”

I don’t think anyone will ever really notice this or care, but I had a really great time writing Giant Slugs, and hopefully that pleasure and playfulness comes through.

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Another example of the Spell Check Technique

For my lecture last week at the Co-Prosperity Sphere, I created another example of the Spell Check Technique. I started with this text:

By the end of my fourteenth year, when I should have been playing the ocarina or slurping chawanmushi, I was instead intimate with the intestinal tremors of a cowardly dot-com intern filching mustard packs from the office canteen sans asking. All winter long we followed others’ elks without caring that they were others’. In a former day and age, e.g., during my thirteenth year, I knew whose elks were whose and would not have tolerated confusion. (from my novel Giant Slugs, Lawrence and Gibson 2011)

Running the technique generated the following vocabulary list:

byte norm forte entry archon should have exempla ninth eucharis nears burping chaw an mushier basins tea din tomato width feints tonal remorse of cow aridly outcome intern lichen gusto repack from Hoffa secant insane siskin galley nitro ngwee lowed others elks tout airing hat the were theirs uniform redeye adage during mythic rent hear knew seek sewer hose an would notched extoller ate co infusion from giants aglow rouse nudges on

Which I used to write the following:

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Every review of “Amazing Adult Fantasy” so far

In reverse-chronological order:

• Robert L. McLaughlin: The Review of Contemporary Fiction
• Jonah Vorspan-Stein: NOÖ Journal
• Jess Stoner: Necessary Fiction
• Paul Kincaid: SF Site
• Jeff Bursey: The Quarterly Conversation
• Peter Fontaine: The Collagist
• Matt Dube: H_NGM_N

Special offer reminder: If you buy my novel Giant Slugs before 13 April, I’ll mail a copy of Amazing Adult Fantasy to the North America address of your choice.

I’ll also include a letter and a drawing of your favorite animal.

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A new review of “Amazing Adult Fantasy,” in Review of Contemprary Fiction

By Robert L. McLaughlin—many thanks to him and RCF for the very kind words!

Remember, between now and 13 April, if you buy my novel Giant Slugs, I’ll send you a free copy of Amazing Adult Fantasy. I’ve already mailed out one, so you know it’s legit. (More details below.)

I will also write you a letter, and draw you a picture of your favorite animal.

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Buy “Giant Slugs,” and get a free copy of “Amazing Adult Fantasy”!

If you order my novel Giant Slugs between now and 13 April, I’ll send you a free copy of my prose collection Amazing Adult Fantasy (which retails for $12.95 US). (I’m afraid that, for now, this is North America only.)

You can purchase Giant Slugs directly from its publisher, Lawrence and Gibson. It costs $38 New Zealand (that includes shipping to the US), which equals roughly $31.77 US.

So this way, for that amount, you get both of my books, shipping included!

For more about Giant Slugs, click here. And for more about Amazing Adult Fantasy, click here. (And if you have any questions, let me know!)

Update: If you order GS before AWP, and will be in town for that conference, I’ll be happy to hand you a copy of AAF there!

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I updated my website

Specifically, I finished linking to all of my online publications (minus the Big Other and HTMLGIANT stuff). Now you can revisit pieces from Amazing Adult Fantasy, Giant Slugs, plus numerous other stories and novel excerpts and book reviews and miscellaneous things. Or…you can not! Either way, enjoy.

…I also updated the events page.

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Chicago Subtext Interview

Jason Behrends was kind enough to interview me in regards to some of my current work. It is here.

I will also be reading at the Orange Alert series on 21 August, 6pm, at The Whistler.

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An Interview with Me at Untoward

just went up—well, Part One did, in which Matt Rowan asks me questions about my first book (Amazing Adult Fantasy), G.I. Joe, geek culture, Ota Benga, Ayn Rand, George Orwell, and bad writing habits; we also discuss Curtis White, Theodor Adorno, Viktor Shklovsky, and ninjas, among other things.

[Update: Part Two, which focuses more on my first novel, Giant Slugs, is now up.]

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